Japan had lost four straight matches after winning the opener against Serbia. The Asian side are now 2-4 in the tournament. Germany fall to 0-6 in the tournament and has not gone winless in the tournament since the 1995 World Grand Prix.

Japan started the opening set with a 3-0 advantage and Ishii served an ace after a Shimamura kill to increase the margin to 5-1. Poll sliced the German deficit in half at 5-3 with a kill. Hanke place Germany within one at 6-5 with a kill on second contact. Germany took the lead at 8-7 with a powerful attack from Poll. Japan answered with three straight points to grab a 10-8 advantage. Sakoda served an ace to extend Japan’s lead to 13-10. Germany came back to knot the score at 14-all on Stigrot block. Japan went up 17-15 on a German back-row violation, but the European side came back to tie it at 17-all on Poll kill. Germany took the lead back at 19-18 on a Japan four-contact violation. Trailing 20-18, Nabeya served an ace to tie the score at 20-all. Poll ended a long rally with a German block, reversing the lead to their side at 21-20. Germany put up another block at 22-20, but Japan’s Sakoda split the defense and a German error squared the set at 22-all. Lippmann gave Germany set point at 24-23 with a slam. Silge served an ace on Germany’s third set point for the win at 27-25.

Stigrot and Lippmann each had six points in the opening set.

Neither team was able to get more than a two-point cushion early in the second set as Germany went into the first technical timeout leading 8-7. Shimamura served an ace to reverse the lead to Japan at 11-10. A German attack error pushed the Japan margin to 13-11. Silge put up a block and Stigrot served an ace to switch the lead to Germany at 14-13. Germany reached the second technical timeout up 16-15. Lippmann hammered an attack off the fingers of Japan and put up a block to extend Germany’s lead to 20-17 as part of a 3-0 run. Sakoda served an ace to close Japan’s deficit to 21-20. Silge gave Germany two set point attempts at 24-22 with a big block, but saved two set points with a Koga kill and Germany setting error to level the score at 24-all. Japan took the lead back at 25-24 and Shimamura blocked the winner at 26-24.

Japan gained a three-point cushion in the third set with a Sakoda kill at 12-9 and the lead extended to 18-10 following two kills from Koga and an ace by Sakoda. The consecutive scoring run reached six as Tashiro put up a block at 17-10. Japan ended the set at 25-15 as Germany hit long. Shimamura had five points in the set to lead Japan.

Sakoda served an ace for Japan to rally it from a two-point deficit into a 5-all tie, then Japan went in front 7-5 as part of a 5-0 run. Japan extended their lead to 11-7 prompting a Germany timeout. Japan reached the second technical timeout leading 16-8. Sakoda stuffed Germany putting Japan in front 21-13. Japan eased into the final set victory at 25-18.